Improvement in car-couplings



UNITED STATES lPATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT RENNIOK, on WOODEORD COUNTY, KENTUCKY.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 174,440, dated March 7, 1876; application led i January 6, 1876. y

To all 'whom it may concern: p

Be it known that I, ROBERT RENNIOK, a resident of the county of Woodford, but having my post-ofce address at- Keene, in the county of J essamine and State ot' Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Car-Couplers, of which the following is a specification:

In the annexed'drawings, making a partof this specification, Figure 1 is a section, showing in plan the internal arrangement of parts. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 3 is an end elevation.

The same letters are employed in all the figures in the designation ot' identical parts.

A A are the draw-heads of a railway-car, chambered to receive two oscillating jaws, B B, sustained upon stems B B', which are elastic, their tension tending to bring the jaws together. Beveled notches are cut O11 the opposed f-.ices of the jaws to receive an arrowheaded shackle, the draft 'of the two being such that the strain upon the shackle tends to draw the jawstogether. Links 0 C are fastened to the back of thejaws, and also to the short arms otl levers D D, which are disposed on each side of the platforms, so as to permit passengersto pass without interruption. VE is the shackle, being arrow-headed on each end,

so that it may be attached to:`e'ither car.' The lower faces of the shackle may also be beveled ports it normally in a horizontal position but by pressing on the footrod F the spring may be pressed O11 the end of the shackle, and raise its free end in case the draw-head of the 'approaching'car is higher than the draw-head to which the shackle is attached. 0n the other hand, the free end may be depressed by lifting the spring, so as to relieve the pressure on the end of the shackle.

The cars will be coupled by runningtogether, or uncoupled by pressing against the levers D, or they will become detached automatically in case one car should leave the track, so as to deflect the shackle to an angle of about forty-live degrees. By making holes. in the top and bottom of the draw-head to receive coupling-pins the car may be connected to the two subscribing witnesses.

5 ROBERT RENNIGK. Witnesses: L. H. PARRIsH,

S. G.- HUGHES. 

